Samuel Ares

A number of genes have been associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. One gene, PPARy, is known to be a major regulator of fat cells and how they function in the body, and the role that fat plays in glucose regulation. Recent studies have shown that another gene, HMGA2, affects the formation and accumulation of fat cells in mice. That gene also acts as a transcriptional regulator of another gene, IGF2BP2. In order to study the function of these genes in fat cells, Samuel and his colleagues investigated ways to observe what happened when the genes were overexpressed, and when they were dialed down. Future study of these genes will result in more knowledge about type 2 diabetes, a metabolic disease that is on the increase.

"I have fallen in love with research once again. I have learned so many different aspects of science and research in genomics that will without a doubt shape the future of my career in science. Thank you, Broad."

Samuel I. Ares, a student in industrial biotechnology and chemical engineering at University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez studied the functional role of IGF2BP2 and HMGA2 in adipocyte tissue and Type 2 Diabetes.